


A Rift Across Chime; To The Shores Of Another Time

by DarrowWyrlde, XxDecipheringGravityFallsxX



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: A Better World (Gravity Falls), A Better World AU, My friend and I's take on A Better World, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-07-29 06:30:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16258604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarrowWyrlde/pseuds/DarrowWyrlde, https://archiveofourown.org/users/XxDecipheringGravityFallsxX/pseuds/XxDecipheringGravityFallsxX
Summary: Dipper and Mabel find themselves a Universe away from home, but they end up far away from each other. Will they ever get back to their Universe? Maybe!But more pressingly, will they try and mend a broken brotherly bond that's been ten years in the making, or should I say breaking? Ehhh, eehhh? Will Stan and Ford ever make up? We'll sea!Will there be shenanistans of all sorts? Yes, definitely, absolutely!Will Fiddleford do his hourly hootenanny? Perhaps.And most importantly of all:Will Bill ever fuck off? Probably?! I don't know!Stay tuna-ed!





	A Rift Across Chime; To The Shores Of Another Time

**Author's Note:**

> This is an rp turned fanfic! The fanfic will be updated as the rp goes along! My friend Darrow and I hope you enjoy this!

          What was the ocean blue? Was it warm and inviting, or ruthless and untamed? Or rather could it be a mish-mash mix of both? There were endless ways to describe the oceans, that stretched across the globe, that were all just as fathomless as they were expansive.

         In the very bizarre case of Mabel Pines, she’d describe the ocean as her soon to be chilly and watery grave.

         Through the haze of the gray skies and the dark water that was threatening to consume her whole, Mabel tried to reach back into her memories and recall how she’d ended up in the middle of the sea.

            As the waves tossed her about and she struggled to keep herself afloat, a memory began to prod at the surface of her mind. Soon the obscured memory blossomed into a clear Summer’s day in Gravity Falls.

            She remembered that she and her brother were back in Oregon for the second time, and that they were fooling around outside while their Grunkles- Stan and Ford, both of whom sat on the couch watching them play.

          Mabel had been chasing Dipper with the water hose, screaming that she was the God of The Water People. In which Dipper had teased her by sticking his tongue out at her, only to start coughing and hacking when Mabel sprayed the water in the hose directly into his mouth

          This prompted a riotous laughter from her Grunkle Stan and a low rumbling chuckle from her Grunkle Ford, both of them clearly amused. Though her brother wasn’t as amused by her antics as they all were.

           For soon Mabel found her vision catching sight of the sky as Dipper tackled her to the ground and unleashed tickle torment.

            It was at this point Mabel squealed and called in Grunkle Stan for backup, and he came to her rescue, taking Dipper and putting him in a mock headlock as he tickled him without mercy.

             Dipper responded in turn by calling upon Ford to assist him; and that’s how they all ended up in a Pines pile on the ground all of them red in the face with laughter. After their family shenanigans for the day, it was time to get serious.

           Dipper and Mabel got themselves dried off and in new clothes and decided they’d go exploring the Woods for an hour or so. It was only meant to be a brief trip into the woods, to record another installment of Dipper’s Guide to the Unexplained.

            And they had found something rather unexplained at that, they had chanced upon a meadow. It was lush and green, flowers of all different species as far as the eye could see. Then right in the middle of the meadow something peculiar caught Mabel’s attention, Dipper hadn’t seen it, so she called his attention to it.

          The ever-curious Mystery Twins approached what appeared to be some type of ruins entrance, and what did they do? Walk away and never return in fear of the unknown?

         Of course not, nothing deterred the Mystery Twins from a thrilling adventure. And off they went into the ruins entrance and inside they found only a single room. Within room there was a pedestal with an orb centered upon it, and voices whispered to them to take it.

        Dipper had been rather weary and gazed at the orb suspiciously, Mabel however didn’t register any sense of foreboding. She merrily skipped over, and spirited away the orb from its perch.

      Initially when nothing of consequence occurred, Mabel and Dipper decided to take the orb back to their Grunkle Ford so that he could study it.

        As they left the ruins behind, Mabel stared down at the orb, it was a hue of many colors. The orb looked as though it was made of stained glass.

      She gazed at her own reflection that beamed off of its surface and then something else caught her gaze. The orb only had one section of blue upon it, a voice within her commanded her to touch it and so she did---

          That’s when she and her brother were swallowed up by a thick fog, and the whole world around them began to tremor harshly.

          Screams erupted into the fog as she and Dipper held onto each other, the orb had slipped out of Mabel’s hold and shattered into pieces upon the ground. Then suddenly just as the orb shattered, the ground underneath them began to shatter as if made from frail glass.

             Mabel began to slip out of Dipper’s hold and despite Dipper’s plea for her to hold on, she was unable to keep her hands locked in his.

           She was pried from his grasp, as the thick fog began flashing different multiple colors like flickering flames.

      Then the ground and everything around them broke, like a snow globe and she was sent plummeting from the sky.

       Her back breached the briny blue, and she sank like a rock beneath the surface- the wind having been ejected from her lungs.

        After a few moments of fighting off the foggy haze in her mind, she came to quickly register where she was.

 

**The ocean...**

 

  
          And that’s how Mabel came to be adrift in the sea, trembling and exhausted, a storm raging around her- ready to sink into the deep blue.

        That is until she saw something move within the water on the horizon... a boat. The boat looked rather meager in size, however that could just be because of her warped perspective due to how moderately far away it seemed to be. 

           Knowing that this was her only chance for a rescue, Mabel inhaled the deepest breath she had ever taken in her entire life. She allowed the air to linger in her lungs, so it would amplify her cry of dismay and then she allowed it to burst from her lungs.

  
**“HELP! PLEASE! HELP ME! PLEASE!”**  Her shrill voice reverberated through the air and echoed across the waves, her echo barely reaching over the ship before it faded into silence.

 

 

 

          The sky was moodily overcast, and Stanley Pines was leaning against the rail of the old ship at sea. He looked out at the bland horizon, then down to the silver water.

          He closed his eyes, and took in a deep breath....of the grey. He wasn't sure why he was so surprised by the grayness of it all. On land he knew that the sky was more often grey than blue, the same with water too. Old wood, metal, rope...all grey.

        Perhaps his surprise came from how in his dreams it had never been grey. Then again, in his dreams of sailing...he was never alone.

      Alone...oh how long he had been alone. The ache of the years gone by on his own had reached its highest point. Out here at sea....living his dream. "That's irony for you."

          A familiar and reprimanding voice sounded in the back of his head. "Oh whatever, you know what I mean." He sighed heavily and looked back out at the distant grey line.

        He had been on this boat for a few weeks, his mind warring at what he should do. He was following his brother’s instructions...but they had been rather vague. **_“Ends of the Earth….Where no one can find it.”_** Stan had thought on these few words night and day.

         The instructions led him to believe that his brother never wanted to see the blasted book again. Stan could always throw it overboard….but he wasn’t sure.

        If it wasn’t for that uncertainty, Stan would have thrown it to the waves ages ago...perhaps alongside himself. He sighed again and stepped back from the rough siding. Rubbing a hand down his face as he tried to decide what to do next. By his calculations, he should be nearing-

          A cut off cry reached his ears, and he whipped his head around at the sound. The continuing silence led him to stay stock still, waiting for any continuation of-

         He heard it again, the sound coming towards the bow. A quick look in that direction provided his eyes with the sight of two distant seagulls. His shoulders slumped in a release of tension.

         “Stupid birds.” With a turn of the head, his feet were leading him back to the cabin. He unconsciously put a hand inside his jacket, the bulk of the Journal providing a comforting and dreadful weight. 

 

**“HE-”**

 

      His head snapped back around at the definite voice.

 

  
**"HELP!!!”**

 

     Before he knew it, he was back to the railing, gazing out at the water. “HELLO?!” He called, hoping he hadn’t finally snapped.

 

 

      **“HELP!!! PLEASE HELP!!!”**

 

  
          A quick scan of the growing waves under the darkening sky led to a girl desperately trying to stay afloat. Stan’s eyes grew wide. “What the-?! Hang on!” Despite his instinct to jump right in to her rescue, Practicality’s little nerd voice made itself heard.

           He quickly grabbed a length of rope, hastily knotting it to the railing. He flung off the jacket, precious book inside, and slid it across the deck. A quick series of kicks left him bootless and he climbed over the rail, end of the rope wound about his wrist.

             He hit the water and plunged deep. A brief moment of disorientation, then he was surging up, aiming for the direction of the girl.

            He charged through the water, arm over arm in an attempt to reach the unfortunate soul as the wind began to moan and water droplets peppered the darkening waves. In no time he was by her side, wrapping an arm around her to keep her afloat.

          “GET ONTO MY BACK!” he bellowed, voice barely heard over the sudden rolling thunder. The surprisingly small person compiled, and they plowed through the water, back to the ship.

            The waves about them grew choppy, and Stan struggled to keep them surfaced. It had been years since he’d swam, and the weight on his back began to take its toll. As the storm roared and the boat rocked, Stan finally reached its side.

           He roughly pushed the girl up. She thankfully grabbed the rail and climbed the rest of the way herself. He followed, mildly surprised when tiny hands grabbed his forearms, trying to help him over the side. He flopped on deck, exhausted and soaked to the bone.

          He panted, mind racing at the thought of what he had just done. He had saved a girl from the middle of the ocean during a storm. His eyebrows knit as he wondered how she had even arrived in such a predicament. The speeding trains in his mind came to a halt, as rough coughing exploded beside him. Groaning, he sat up and stared at the wonder he had fished from the sea.

 

       “Are you alright?”

 

         The girl crumpled onto the deck of the ship, heaving and dispelling water from her lungs.

        She trembled harshly- she was soaking wet and the chilly winds, that whipped through the sky ruthlessly, nipped at her in a way that made her think of winter having icicle teeth with which to bite upon her poor soul.

       She didn’t answer the man whom had proved himself as her savior, all she did was continue to hack out the water she’d unfortunately inhaled.

        The manner in which she was hunched over was comparable to that of a wilted flower.

         She wrapped her arms around herself in a tight hug, as if in a desperate attempt to reassure herself that she was safe and secure upon a boat- and not still in the cruel and unforgiving grasp of the ocean.

        A soft kitten like sneeze followed after her ragged coughs, and she finally regained enough of her bearings to think straight.

       The girl slowly began to pry herself out of her stupor, as if she were a pearl emerging from an oyster for the very first time, to shine its beauty upon the world.

      The little darling was as cute as a button, and even if she was drenched, the unmistakable aura radiating off of her shined and glistened like the glow of a shooting star against eventide’s sky.

       The explosive hacking had started up again, as the poor girl’s body expelled more of the briny water.

      Mabel teetered in place and almost flopped over onto the deck like a fish drowning in air, but she managed to keep her balance.

      Stan had reached out a hand to steady her, but had paused in his action-

        When the small girl had shifted in place, and tilted her gaze upwards to thank the man for rescuing her. “Thank---” Her voice hitched up in her throat as she stared wide eyed up at...her Grunkle Stan?

          Wait, no that couldn’t be correct! This wasn’t her Grunkle, and yet it was all at the same time.

         She continued to stare at him in a bewildered manner, her eyes as wide as the moon that was currently taking refuge behind the stormy sea of clouds above them.

       There were two storms, one above in the sky and one below in the water each of them raging together in harmony like a pack of vicious sharks on the attack.

            This was her Grunkle Stan, but not as how she knew him but as how he was in his youth.

        She only knew this was her Grunkle Stan because she and Dipper finally got to see what Stan and Ford looked like in their youth through old video reels and pictures. 

           Even though he looked much more rugged in appearance, and even if she couldn't tell from his appearance his voice would have given it away, he sounded just like her Grunkle Stan and that was all the proof she needed to know it was him.

     Her eyes had grown rather wide, almost fearfully so and her face flashed a multitude of emotions, none of which he could decipher.

     He stayed frozen as her eyes seemed to peer deep into the depths of his soul. Her mystifying gaze held him. It was hopeful and familiar and it unnerved him greatly. Finally, her face settled on an expression, joy.

      Mabel didn't quite understand what to make of her current situation. Yet she couldn't find it in herself to care all too much.

         It wasn’t as if stranger things hadn’t happened before, honestly, she should have expected something as weird as this to happen.

 

 

  **After all, nowhere in the entire world worked in more mysterious and curious ways than Gravity Falls.**

 

  
          “Thank you!” She finally blurted out, not wanting the unofficial staring contest to become off putting. She wished nothing more than to hurl herself at her Grunkle Stan, and thank him up and down for saving her life.

         Yet, she knew this Grunkle Stan had not an inkling as to who she was, so that was out of the question. Whatever was happening, she knew one thing for certain, she’d soon discover what. She just had to play pretend and hope things would somehow work themselves out.

               When the girl thanked him, Stan blinked entirely unsure of how to respond...to anything. Suddenly there was a blinding flash and deafening crack of thunder as lightning struck the mast. Two shrieks split the air in reply- to Stan’s embarrassment as he realized one shriek was his own.

           A moment of relative silence as the two unlikely shipmates stared at one another...then they laughed. Oh how Stan laughed!

         All the tension and remaining adrenaline of the past few minutes flowed out of him; as deep barks of mirth echoed through his core. Above himself and the storm, he could just barely make out the tiny girl’s own howls of glee.

          Another roar of the sky paused Stan in his relief. “Um...we should probably go inside.” He tilted his head towards the cabin.

       Another crack and a howl of wind prevented Stan from hearing her reply, but her enthusiastic nod made the response clear. He, groaned, carefully got to his feet on the rocking deck, and helped keep the shivering girl steady.

           He gently ushered her to the nearby door, a hand at the small of her back. As he undid the latch, a thought flashed through his mind and panic filled his eyes.

      Stan bounded back across the deck, leaving the girl on her own. He bent down by the bow and scooped up his red jacket, relieved to find the rectangle of anguish still wrapped inside.

      He briskly rejoined the confused girl, and led her inside to the warmth and the dry. He reflected momentarily, on how that was the first time since Oregon, that the Journal had left his person.

       The first thing that caught Mabel’s attention in the cabin below was that there was a bunk bed. She stared at the bunk bed for just a few moments before her curious gaze scanned over the cabin.

        The expression that had settled itself upon her face was one of bewilderment, almost as if she were expecting something... or rather someone else to be on the ship with them.

           The thought she harbored in her mind was that Grunkle Ford must have been here as well, though that didn’t appear to be the case. She stood there in a dazed state of mind, trying to wrap her head around the entire situation she currently found herself in.

         It wasn’t until she recalled her time in the Multiverse before Summer’s end last year, that she started putting two and two together.

       This must be another Universe, a Universe in which she and her brother had yet to be born into, and from what she was witnessing it must be a Universe in which her Grunkle Stan had taken Ford’s journal.

        She vaguely recollected reading a record account of a Universe like this in her Grunkle Ford’s journal.

        Ford had dubbed this Universe ‘A Better World’ though looking upon the state of this Universe’s Grunkle Stan, she wasn’t so certain that this Universe lived up to the title that her Grunkle Ford had bestowed upon it.

          In spite of hearing Stan’s laughter just moments prior, Mabel could sense deep and concealed sorrow just lurking beneath the surface tension of this Stanley Pines before her.

       Mabel wasn’t a fool, she was very much in harmony with the emotional state of those around her.

       She had the uncanny ability to somehow sense the emotional aura that seeped off of other’s as she interacted with them. She could tell that this Stanley Pines wasn’t yet the cheerful, eccentric, fulfilled, content or undaunted Grunkle she had become familiar with.

         No, that was her Grunkle Stan, back in her Universe, this man he wasn’t even her Grunkle yet. This man was just Stanley Pines, a conman on the run from the past he could never seemed to escape.

         She could feel the intense waves of agony pulsating from his aura, the waves of his self-doubt, his sorrow, his anguish, his heartache, and his exhaustion stuck her all at once.

          Mabel didn’t realize that she had begun tearing up, that was until she felt her tears trickle down her face. She quickly swiped them away, making up her mind in a split second.

          That orb must have sent her here for a reason. She was no longer lost in her own thoughts, without a doubt she knew that she must be here to help this Universe’s Stanley.  Her dreams of becoming someone’s Guardian Angel had come true, and how lucky was she to be the Guardian Angel of a wayward Stanley?

          That was a two for one deal that she could get behind! She could finally cross that title off of her list of good-deeds. A small smile of delight spread itself across her face. She put her hands behind her back and stared up at Stanley, she knew what she had to do. She had to fix the broken bonds between the Stan and Ford of this Universe, and it was then and there that she also realized something else. Dipper must have ended up with Ford, right?

        If she had ended up with Stan then it would be rational for Mabel to conclude that Dipper was with Ford. Though she was worried for her brother, there wasn’t much she was able to do. Panicking over where Dipper was wouldn’t do her any favors. She had to keep a lid on her own eccentrics and worries. It was time to focus. She had matured immensely since her thirteenth birthday.

       Despite still being eccentric and silly, she had a better grasp on reality and how to handle the unexpected. And ending up in another Universe was no exception to the rule, she had to put on a brave face and put aside her worries, it’s what Dipper would do as well.

 

           “H-Hi! I’m Mabel! Mabel P---”

 

             Mabel stopped herself before she blabbed out her last name, whoa! Talk about a close call. She couldn’t just babble out her name to Stanley like this, they had the same last name for crying out loud. She floundered for a few moments to think of a new last name.

          Then with a stroke of pure genius, that only Mabel could pull off in the span of a split second she spoke once more.

        She had passed her abrupt halt in speech off as a small bout of coughs, pretending as if she was still slightly shaken from her ordeal. She wasn't certain she could trick the conman before her, but hopefully her acting was sufficient enough to fool him.

  
     “I’m Mabel Brines!”

  
  **'Yes! Nailed it!'**

  
          In her mind she could hear the voice of her friend Soos praising her for the nice save. “I know, I know funny isn’t it? That my last name is Brines and you just- well fished me out of the ocean, huh?” A giggle so adorable, it should be illegal, escaped her vocal cords.

            She...was lying. That was such a terrible alias, almost as bad as one of Stan’s own. Admittedly though, it was funny. Stan couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him at the girl’s own glorious giggle.  She seemed to be positively shaking with humor at her joke...or she was just shaking in general?

      Stan realized Mabel was not out of the woods yet. “Oh Moses, you’re shaking like a leaf kid! Here, let me get you some clothes then you’re telling me how you ended up in the middle of the ocean. Just a sec!”

        Mabel inwardly sighed in relief, she didn’t know if he’d bought it or if he just silently let the white lie slip by with nary a comment. Was she shaking? She hadn’t even realized it, come to think of it she could feel goosebumps all over her skin and finally the chill crawled up her spine, causing her to shiver even more harshly.

          In a vain attempt to warm herself she began to rub her arms furiously, frowning and sticking out her tongue. Stan’s words almost flew right over her head like a seagull flying over the head of a fish, almost narrowly missing the catch.

         Attentiveness on her Not-Yet-Grunkle returned and she bobbed her head up in down to let him know she was paying attention. She stood there in complete silence save for a sniffle here and there, the young thirteen-year-old knew she could take ill if she remained in wet clothes any longer.

 

       Stan moved across the cabin to the bunks, and began rifling through the dirty clothes thrown on the top.

  
           To his dismay, he realized he hadn’t washed anything in...awhile. A loud sniff came from behind him, and he realized that time was running out. He didn’t want her getting hypothermia. Smelly clothes or not, she had to get out of her wet things.

           He snatched the least rank long-sleeve shirt he owned, and his lone pair of sweatpants. “Here! Those should work for now.” A toss led to the girl’s head being covered, and another twinkling laugh escaped her...before a sneeze.

        Fortunately, Mabel didn't have to suffer for much longer- for Stanley came back and unceremoniously tossed clothes atop her head.  “There’s a sorta bathroom below decks. Skinny door, looks like a closet. I’ll heat something up to eat if you’ll go get changed.”

             Mabel pulled the clothes off of her head and gave them a curious sniff, she crinkled her nose and gave him a slightly bothered gaze.

           The clothes bundled in her arms smelled odd, yet she supposed she should be grateful that the clothes only smelled of the sea and....she took a sniff again and a frown crept onto her face. It smelled like the ocean, sand and slightly of fish.

         Oh well, at least the scent wasn’t too overbearing she could deal with it if she must, and well it appeared she had no choice in the matter. Resignation resided over her and she beamed up a grin at him.

           “Thank you so much, S-Sir!” Right, Stan hadn’t even said his name to her, she couldn’t call him Stan until he informed her of who he was. Like a rabbit she took off to change, every step was like a bounce. A lively little child, wasn’t she? She vanished into the bathroom and it took her a few minutes to change.

             Once Mabel skipped down the steps and out of sight, Stan sighed again. His mind began to reel again at the...insanity of this situation. How was he supposed to deal with having someone else onboard? A little girl no less...and how did she even get here?

             The bundled jacket still tucked under his arm, brought itself to attention. He sat down on the lower bunk and carefully unwrapped the Journal. It was undamaged. He breathed a sigh of relief and thanked whatever forces that may be that the rain had not reached its pages.

            A shiver ran up his spine and he realized he should probably change too. Making a mental note to do laundry later, he reluctantly grabbed some reeking clothes for himself. As he struggled to pull off the shirt sticking to his chest, a loud clatter erupted outside.

 

            “SHIT!"

 

           Stan shoved the red volume under his pillow, before bounding to the cabin door and back out into the storm. Between the sudden change of weather and everything with Mabel, he hadn’t take the time to properly tie anything down.

           To his distress, he saw that his lone fishing pole was missing, and his cooler of beer had spilled cans all over. He spent a few minutes running about the ship, securing the lines and climbing atop the cabin roof to make sure no damage came to the radio antenna.

        Trying to get down as the ship rocked, his wet sock slipped and he fell down onto the deck with a crash.

       “Ow...everything hurts.” He groaned, and decided that was enough. He had to go inside...he stopped to snag his boots first. Back inside, he locked the door.

        “Batten down the hatches,” he shook his head with a sigh. Stan was really starting to shake now, but Mabel would probably be out in a minute. He went below decks and opened a cardboard box. Two cans of soup in his hands, he turned on the small stove and looked in another box for his lone pot. 

 

            Meanwhile in the bathroom, Mabel had finally managed to change.

 

             The clothes were extremely baggy on Mabel but thankfully she was a creative cookie and found a small rope to use as a makeshift belt. She tied the spare rope around her waist and knotted it tightly, there wasn’t much she could do for the shirt except for tuck it in.

          She stared at herself in the mirror to admire her handiwork, that would have to do for now. Then suddenly she felt something scuttle around in her sopping wet hair, she froze in place and watched her reflection. A red claw poked out of her messy hair, then legs soon followed and finally the entire body.

         Atop her head was a tiny crab, at first, she was disgusted that a crab had hitched a ride in her hair. But as she gazed into the mirror to watch it settle atop her head- the more she grew to think of it as adorable.

             Without warning she snatched the crab off of her head, her fingers nearly being pinched by its tiny claws in the process. "Shhhh! Shhh it’s okay little friend!” She patted the top of its head to soothe the startled creature. “C’mon! Let’s show you to Grunkle Stan!” She whispered gleefully under her breath.  
 

        Behind Stanley the bathroom door opened, and his new companion emerged.

 

         “I made a friend in the ocean!” She inexplicably had a small, almost cartoonish crab in her hands. How Mabel had a crab he had no clue but...it wasn’t the strangest thing to happen that day.

 

          “You...alright. You have a crab."

 

           She started to babble on about how it had been in her hair and he busied himself opening the cans. Stan wasn’t sure what to say. How was one to start a conversation with a mysterious person recently fished from the waves?

               One thing he knew about Mabel was that he was going to be stuck with her for awhile...maybe he should see what she was like. Get a sense of her personality. Poke her humor with a stick.

  
...the crab was the perfect starting point.

 

       “If I knew how, I’d cook it up for you.” He turned around to see her response.

           A shrill gasp tumbled out of her open jaw, Mabel gently clutched the crab protectively against her. “What? N-No!” She sputtered out as if offended by the very suggestion of cooking up her new friend. Her eyes glistened with dismay and she pouted, her bottom lip protruding. She looked just like a small bright eyed puppy, she shook her head furiously.  
   
         “No! Scuttles The Left Hooked Terror of the Seven Seas- is not for eating!” She patted the top of the crab before she bent down and kissed the crustacean. “Don’t worry Scuttles, you’re not gonna be anyone’s dinner tonight.” She settled down onto the floor and placed the crab down onto her legs.

         She watched the sea creature scuttle over the top of the fabric of the baggy pants she now wore. “I’m keeping him.” She proclaimed boldly, she stuck out her tongue as if her say so was final

         Stan threw back his head with a bark of laughter. “I’m jokin’ kid! No need to get so defensive.” Mabel gave an indignant huff, and grabbed the crab as it tried to escape her. “Hey,” Stan poked at her knee with his toe, “Scuttles 's a great name.”

           Mabel patted the top of the crab again while she gazed up at Stan, her adorable grin plastered back on her face. "He's a good boy!" She replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

          "He's the greatest crab to ever live! He's cute and fierce, see watch!" She gingerly tapped the crab's larger claw. The newly named Scuttles snapped his claw shut, though he only pinched air, for Mabel's reflexes were much too swift.

              There was no hope for Scuttles to pinch one of her fingers, it was a losing battle. Mabel continued to gently poke Scuttles's claw until the crab surrendered to the fact it wouldn't win this game of poke and pinch. A soft snicker left the young child, it was obvious that it didn't take much to amuse her.

           At least Stan wouldn't have to worry about her becoming bored, a bored child wasn't a fun child.

           Though there was something rather peculiar about Mabel, if her hair was shorter, if she was missing a tooth, and if she was wearing a white shirt with two red stripes she'd look like a mirror image of how Stan did when he was a young boy. It was as if they could be related, but that wasn't possible, right?

 

**Right...?**

 

        Stan shook his head, dispelling the disconcerting thoughts and went back to his task. Mabel continued to play and talk with her red friend and Stan started to really think about what it meant to have her aboard ship.

       He....didn’t have much food left for one. A few boxes of soup and some other basic supplies. He hadn’t really been thinking of anything when he left port besides leaving. A new hungry mouth on-board, a child no less...how was he supposed to take care of her?

         The beef soup heated up quickly, and he was soon pouring it into the one bowl he owned. He grabbed his coffee stained mug and poured the rest of the meal in that. Picking both steaming containers up, he used his foot to poke Mabel again.

      “Hope you like soup kid, ‘cause it’s pretty much all we got.” Another violent chill ran up his spine and he shook so hard, droplets of broth flew and splashed across the cabin, a few making their mark on the girl.

         Mabel blinked as the droplets rained down on her, they burned only for a moment, but she didn't take much notice to the scalding warmth that was left behind.

         She was far more concerned about Stan. She moved Scuttles aside onto a small stand, and then pushed herself to her feet. "You're shaking like a tree leaf in fall, about to snap off its branch!" The girl shook her head in disapproval, "I know you're worried about me, but you gotta take care of yourself too!"

  
         Now this was new, someone actually caring about him? When was the last time that ever happened in the past decade?

     "Stay here, okay?" She skipped off and began to search around the cabin for anything she could use as a blanket of sorts. When she found a semi-thick sheet she decided that it would have to do.

             She rushed back to him and held it out to him, "Put the soup down on your table over there, and then you get curled up nice and warm in this sheet, 'kay mister?"

           This kid really was something else, having just been rescued from drowning, and she was more concerned about the well being of her rescuer than that of her own. Was she perhaps an angel? Did those even exist?

 

 

          **Perhaps...he was dead.**

 

 

           Stan had been considering jumping overboard mere moments before Mabel appeared. Had he jumped? Was this some sort of odd transition into the afterlife?

           Stan had never believed in an afterlife but...he sneezed violently again. Nope. Definitely still alive. If there was any sort of angel ridden afterlife, Stan figured he wouldn’t be coming down with a cold. And being who he was, why would he be going to live among angels anyway?

           Satisfied with this logic, he took the sheet and set down the containers of hot soup. “Th-thanks sweetie, and you’re probably right. As captain of this fine vessel, I should keep myself in good condition.”

        He sent her a playful wink, earning a giggle, and set the sheet down in the small, worn booth as well.

        “I uh, actually already grabbed some clean….dry clothes for myself and junk. I’ll be right back.” He started to head up the steep stairs to the upper cabin, and called over his shoulder, “When I get back, you’re telling me your whole story missy!"

 

 

        “Aye Aye Captain!”

 

 

          Stan chuckled and busied himself with drying off. Mabel looked around herself, before settling on sitting across the abandoned sheet and taking in a deep breath of the steamy, air.

         The familiar warm smell of beef broth filled her, and she chuckled at the fact this young Stan seemed to have the same taste as her old Grunkle. She picked up the hot bowl with both hands, and took a long slurp of the soup.

          Warmth spread through her chest and she sighed, contently. Putting the bowl back down, she wiped her mouth with her unrolled and floppy sleeve, and began to contemplate what she would tell Stan. 

 

 

      **Lying was for the greater good, right?**

 

**Author's Note:**

> Funfact! 
> 
>  
> 
> The title of this chapter is a pun! 
> 
>  
> 
> The title was taken from the song: In The Pines by Lead Belly.


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